Rescue Me
by cocopuffz
Summary: When Spencer breaks down at the hands of her abusive girlfriend, Carmen, only one person can pick up the pieces. Spashley
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: When Spencer falls at the hands of her abusive girlfriend, Carmen, only one person can bring her back to reality. **

**Rated M for future refrences of violence and drug use, some mature themes later on. **

**So, this is my first South of Nowhere fanfiction. Basically, the storyline revolves around Spencer, and her abusive relationship with Carmen. This story will be in mostly Ashley's POV, but I will tell you if the POV changes throughout the story. This is my first fanfiction doing first person POV, so I hope it comes off as a good story. Please read and review, I'd love to hear your thoughts. ~ Coco**

**Rescue Me**

**Chapter One: Realizations**

I heard my phone ringing, the sound of Justin Timberlake's newest song ringing through the room. I rolled over onto my side, throwing the covers off me as I reached for my phone on my nightstand. I threw a glance at the clock, which read 4:00 am. Frowning, I looked at the caller ID and couldn't supress the smile that spread across my face. _Spencer _was flashing across the screen with each ring that my phone made. I flipped the phone open and laid back onto my back, holding the phone to my ear. "Hey, you," I whispered.

"Ashley." I heard her holding back a sob, and I sat up on my bed, instantly alert.

"Are you alright, Spencer?" I asked her, biting my lip as I waited for her answer.

She sobbed and I felt my heart drop in my chest. My Spencer was crying. But why?

My Spencer. That was a new one. She hadn't been mine since the day she broke up with me, three months ago. Reflex, I guess.

"It's happened again," Spencer whispered so low, I could hardly hear her.

My hands curled into fists, crumpling my bedsheet. I felt my viens boiling with anger as I jumped out of bed, still holding the phone to my ear. "I'll be right there," I promised, trying to keep my voice under control.

I didn't hesitate to get ready, so by the time I got out to my car, my jeans were half on, my shirt was crumpled as I struggled to get it on, while still trying to keep Spencer on the phone. Finally, I hung up the phone, regretting it as I got into my car.

I nearly ran over two elderly ladies, one dog and a kid while making my way over there. What they were doing out at 4:30 am, I'll never know. But then again, this is Los Angeles. Where the unexpected happens.

I didn't even have to knock as I made my way to her door. She was already there, her arms wrapped around herself protectively. Her hair was covering her face, her head down.

I walked up to her and placed my hand under her chin, gently lifting her head up to look at me. I nearly gasped at the sight at the split lip and black eye, but held it back. I could tell from her face that she could see my surprise.

"It's not as bad as it looks," she said, moving backwards so my hand slid off her face.

"Spencer.." I started, stepping forward. She flinced and I stopped in my tracks, holding my hands up to show her I wouldn't do anything. "Why do you put up with this?" I asked, my voice breaking as I tried to hold back my anger.

"Carmen just loses her temper. It's really not a big deal." Spencer crossed her arms across her chest again and stepped aside, to invite me into the house.

"I should go punch her in the face," I snapped, turning around, keys already out of my pocket and in my hands. I started down the sidewalk, but heard Spencer call my name, and I stopped, turning to look at her.

The pain was evident in her features. "Dont," she said simply.

I hesitated, the keys digging into my palms. I fought the urge to wince as I felt the keyblade break through the skin.

"Please," Spencer said again, this time pleading.

I looked from my car to her, back and forth for what seemed like a few minutes, before I sighed and walked back to her.

"Thank you," she whispered. She moved aside again, and this time I stepped inside, waiting for her as she shut the door.

I looked around the room. "Are your parents home?" I asked.

She shook her head, and walked past me into the living room. I trailed behind her, keeping my distance as she sat on the couch. Instinctively I sat down, scooting towards her. "Are we going to talk about this?" I asked, my voice low, even though I knew no one else was home.

"There's nothing to talk about," Spencer replied. A second after saying that, her hand moved up to her split lip, and she winced as her fingertips touched it.

I stood up. "Let me go get some ice." She didn't reply, so I moved quickly into the kitchen, heading to the freezer. My hand trailed the ice button, and I pushed it, grabbing the ice in my hands as it came down. Great. Nowhere to put the ice.

Looking around, I placed the ice on the counter and grabbed a towel rag. I scooped the ice onto the rag and

tied it up. Sighing, I made my way back to the living room.

She took the ice from me, and our fingertips grazed each other. I cleared my throat and stepped away as she applied the ice to her lip.

"This is the third time it's happened," I said, after a countless moment of silence.

Spencer seemed unphased. "It was my fault."

I sighed. "It always is." I hissed.

Spencer's head snapped up to look at me, and I regretted saying anything as I saw the pain in her eyes. She stood up, the ice pack still on her lip. "You should go," she said, moving past me into the main room.

I followed her, but I didn't agree. "I'm not leaving you alone. She could come by." When Spencer didn't answer me, I stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop. "She hit you, Spencer. Does that not ring a bell?"

"I told you she didn't mean to."

"So you just happened to be in the way of her fist?" I asked sarcastically.

"Things happen, Ashley, you should know that." Spencer said coldly.

"This isn't about me, Spencer. You're in a bad relationship. Carmen only loves that you're her punching bag. She doesn't care about you. Or what she does to you."

"Get out!" Spencer cried suddenly, making me jump. She pointed towards the door, but I crossed my arms across my chest and shook my head.

"I told you I'm not leaving you alone."

Spencer, knowing very well that I was stubborn, sighed and gestured to the living room. "You can sleep on the couch."

"Not your bed?" I asked, smiling.

Not knowing I was joking, Spencer glared at me. "We're not together anymore, Ashley. Therefore, you get the couch."

Obviously she didn't get the joke. But I don't blame her. She's been going through a rough time the past couple of months.

I sighed and watched her head upstairs, slowly. Part of me still felt the urge to follow her up there, to make sure she was safe. I shook my head at the thought and continued into the living room.

I laid down on the couch and threw the blanket half over myself. I tried to keep my eyes open, my mind was buzzing with thoughts. But my eyes were the opposite. As hard as I tried to keep them open, they finally closed after a few minutes of fight.

I laid down on the couch and threw the blanket half over myself. I tried to keep my eyes open, my mind was buzzing with thoughts. But my eyes were the opposite. As hard as I tried to keep them open, they finally closed after a few minutes of fight.

What seemed like a few seconds later, my eyes snapped open, and I sat up abruptly. My eyes searched the room, and I heard the shuffling of feet. I held a hand up to my eyes and wiped the sleep away, my head turning to look at the clock. It was 6:00 am. It had only been an hour and a half.

"Spencer?" I asked, moving the blanket off of me and twisting my body around so that my feet were placed on the floor. I saw her step out into the sunlight from the window, tears staining her face. I walked over to her, placing my hands around her. She broke down in my arms, and I could feel her body shuddering underneath me.

"It's okay," I whispered, moving her head so that she was looking at me. I realized she looked worse than she had a couple of hours ago. Her lip was swollen, the cut above her eye had started bleeding again. My hand slid down to her arm, and I gently dragged her into the kitchen. She took a seat, leaning down, her head in her hands.

My hands reached for the dish towel and I kneeled down by Spencer. She looked up at me, her lip quivering. I gently pressed the dish towel to her head, the blood seeping through. Holding back a flinch, I locked eyes with her.

"Did you sleep at all?" I asked, knowing the answer already.

Spencer shook her head, reaching up and wiping a tear from her cheek. She broke eye contact with me and reached up to hold the towel in place. I took the hint and removed my hand.

"When are your parents going to be home?"

She shrugged. "They went away for the night with Glen. They said they'd be back in the afternoon. Carmen was supposed to come over to keep me company." She looked up at me when she mentioned Carmen's name, and I felt my hands clench into fists.

"I'm staying until they get back."

Spencer nodded and stood up, walking over to the kitchen mirror. She winced at her reflection and removed the dish towel. "I should go get cleaned up." She turned to look at me, as if asking for my permission.

I nodded and she walked past me, to the upstairs. After a few seconds, I turned to the fridge and opened it, getting out some eggs. I may not be the best chef in the world, but I know a few things.

By the time the eggs were ready, Spencer had made her way downstairs, a bandage over her eye, and dressed in an old sweatshirt and a ragged pair of jeans. As I set the eggs on the table, it finally hit me. I had never seen Spencer like this before. So fragile. Weak. A burst of anger rose up into my chest, and I took a deep breath, supressing the urge to hit the wall. Instead, I focused my attention on Spencer. I pointed to the eggs and set a fork next to the plate.

"You should eat something."

She sat down at the table and picked up her fork. I sat down opposite her, watching her. She picked at her eggs for a few minutes before I finally spoke up.

"I'm not that bad of a cook."

A weak smile spread across her lips, and I felt a sense of relief. She picked up a piece of egg with her fork and stuffed it into her mouth, keeping eye contact with me as she chewed. I reassured her that the eggs were fine with a smile, and after she swallowed the mouthful she had she nodded.

"Not bad, for someone who's never cooked in her life." She suddenly made a face and I heard a crunching sound as she bit down. "Except for the few shells."

"Were those not supposed to be part of the meal?" I asked in mock surprise, and Spencer let out a small laugh. My heart leaped in my chest. "There's the smile I love so much."

Her smile faded, and she picked more at her eggs. "You can leave you know. You don't have to stick around and wait for my parents to get home."

"I want to." I replied. I studied her face carefully. "What are you going to tell them?" When Spencer looked at me, I verified. "About the bruises. I have a feeling they won't buy the 'I fell' excuse."

"I'll tell them the truth." Suprise must have crossed my face because Spencer spoke up quickly. "I got into a fight."

"You're not going to tell them about Carmen?" I asked.

Spencer put her fork down. "They don't have to know."

I felt the anger build up inside me again. "Spencer, you can't let her keep doing this to you."

"Don't tell me how to live, Ashley. God only knows you're not the poster child for healthy living." She snapped.

I flinched at that repsonse and bit down on my lip to keep from responding. "Right, and living as a punching bag for someone counts as a life." Guess it didn't work.

She slid back, the sound of the chair squeaking on the tiled floor deafening in the silence that followed. She grabbed up her plate and walked over to the sink, leaning against it, facing away from me.

I took a deep breath and got up, taking a few careful steps toward her. "Spencer..." I hesitated, wanting more than anything to just reach out and hold her.

"Get out." She said coldly, her back still facing me.

I stood my ground. "I'm not going anywhere."

She threw the plate into the sink. It smashed, egg and glass flying up towards her. She turned to me now, and I saw in that moment just how much I had hurt her. Her face was etched with pain and anger. "Get out!" She screamed, stamping her foot on the ground.

I crossed my arms across my chest. "No." I stated plainly.

She stood there for a few seconds, her chest moving up and down as she took in deep breathes. Finally, she pushed herself off the sink and charged past me, into the main hall.

I followed her. "Where are you going?" I asked, as I watched her put on her jacket.

"You're not leaving, so I'll leave."

"Spencer, it's 6:30 in the morning. Where are you going to go!?"

She shrugged and zipped up her jacket. "Maybe Carmen is still awake."

That hit a nerve. She reached for the doorknob, and I ran over and grabbed her hand, pulling her away roughly from the door. "You're not seeing her!" I snapped, blocking the doorway with my body.

"Don't tell me who I can and can't see!" She moved forward, attempting to push me out of the way, but I held my ground. "Get out of the way!" She yelled, running a hand through her hair, exsaperated. "You can't stop me from seeing Carmen." She finally said, her voice low.

"I don't understand though, Spencer," I started, falling away from the door a bit. "Why go back to her when she did this to you."

"She loves me." She tried to say it with confidence, but her voice cracked a little.

I shook my head. "She doesn't love you, Spencer. She just loves hitting you. And you know what I don't understand? Why you let her." I knew I shouldn't have said those words as soon as I saw the hurt flicker across her face.

She turned away from me and unzipped her jacket. "Please, Ashley. Just leave me alone." Her voice was weak and low, and I could tell she was trying not to cry.

Reluctantly, I finally stepped away from the door and opened it. I stepped outside, and turned to see Spencer. But all I saw was the closed door. I sighed and dug into my pocket, grabbing my keys. I headed down the driveway towards my car. I turned around and threw one more glance towards the house as I got into my car.

From the window, I could see her watching me. I held up my hand and waved to her slowly, pressing my palm against the cold glass of the window.

She didn't wave back. Instead, she shut the blinds, and I felt my heart drop in my chest.

"I will help you," I promised, as I started up my car.

That was a promise I intended to keep.

**So, good? bad? Press that little button over there and tell me what you thought ;). **


	2. Chapter 2

****

Thank you so much for the reviews on the last chapter, guys! I'm glad you're all liking this story. I'm enjoying writing it, and I really never liked Carmen after she shoved Spencer, then hit on Ashley. I hope you enjoy the next chapter, and don't forget to review. I love to hear your thoughts.

Chapter Two: A Cry For Help

I walked into the apartment and threw my keys onto the table by the front door. Kyla came out of her room, a toothbrush stuck in her mouth, toothpaste frothing at her mouth.

"Hey," she said, her voice muffled by the toothbrush.

I didn't answer. Instead, I walked over to the couch and plopped down. I heard Kyla gurgling in the bathroom, and seconds later she came out, wiping her mouth on her towel. She plopped down beside me and hit me gently on the knee.

"What's up?" she asked, but I was too stuck in my thoughts to answer her. She waved a hand in front of my face. "Hey, earth to Ashley."

I finally came to. "What?" I asked, annoyed. I turned my head to look at her, and she gave me a smile, trying to cheer me up.

"What's going on? Where have you been? I woke up at 5:00 and you weren't here." She got up and headed into the kitchen. I heard her digging around for some cups. That's when the smell of freshly brewed coffee hit my nostrils, and I welcomed it as Kyla poured us some.

She walked back over and handed me a cup, and I took it, nodding my thanks to her. She sat back down beside me and took a sip of hers.

"Are you going to answer me?" She asked.

I looked into my coffee cup, my thoughts running through my head a million miles a minute. I looked at my reflection in the coffee, and I realized how I must have looked. I ran a hand through my hair subconciously. I hadn't even had time to brush it before I hurried off to Spencer's.

Realizing I was ignoring Kyla, I turned to her, only to find her staring at me, a concerned expression on her face.

"I was at Spencer's," I finally said, taking a gulp of my coffee.

Kyla was taken by surprise, and she raised her eyebrows. "Are you guys seeing each other again?"

I shook my head and set my coffee down on the table. "She's just going through some stuff lately."

"It's good that you're there for her," Kyla replied, nodding her head in approval.

"I wish I could do more than be there for her," I admitted, shaking my head. I sat forward, putting my head in my hands. Kyla was silent beside me, obviously thinking. I finally turned to her after a few countless seconds. "How can you help someone who doesn't want to be helped?"

Kyla pursed her lips as she thought. "The best thing you can do is be there for her."

"What if that's not helping?"

Kyla grinned goofily. "Well, when Aiden kept trying to test the boundaries of his life, I hit him. That seemed to knock some sense into him."

I rolled my eyes. "That's all Spencer needs right now," I replied darkly.

Kyla finally looked at me, concern plain in her eyes. "Is everything okay, Ashley?"

"No." I sat back, letting out a sigh. "No, nothing is okay."

"Well, what's going on?"

"It's a long and complicated story," I replied, standing up. I grabbed my coffee and started into my room, Kyla hot on my heels.

"If you hadn't noticed, both our lives are long and complicated stories. Sharing a rock star dad, finding out about one another only a year ago." She watched as I sat down on my bed. "I'd say after everything we've been through, I can keep up with complicated."

"I just don't know how to help her. She's different now. She's not the Spencer I knew and love." I ran a hand over my face and let out an aggravated sigh. "Everything is just so wrong."

Kyla sat down beside me. "I care about Spencer, too. If something is going on, I want to know."

I looked over at her, and she put an arm over my shoulders, pulling me into a hug. I pulled away and picked up my coffee cup, handing it to her.

"Better get more coffee, then."

**********

The first time it happened, Spencer had called me. I had been laying on my couch, trying to catch some sleep after going to Ego with Kyla. I heard the phone blaring in my ear. Annoyed, I reached over and picked it up.

"Hello?" I asked groggily, wiping my eyes with my spare hand.

That's when the phone went dead. I swore to myself and sat up, smacking the phone against my knee. "Stupid cheap phone," I muttered, checking the caller log. I flipped through the log, ignoring my mother's constant attempts to contact me. That's when I reached her name. A smile spread across my face and I reached for Kyla's phone, dialing her number.

She answered on the first ring. "Hello?" She asked, and I noticed instantly that she had been crying. When Spencer cries, her voice gets weak and low, almost like she has a cold.

"It's Ashley," I said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered. "I just called to tell you I can't make it to breakfast today."

I felt myself frown. "What? It was your idea to have breakfast everyday when we broke up."

"I know. Something's...going on. I just can't make it, okay?" She snapped at the last sentence, and I felt myself wince as I nodded my head.

"Alright, alright. I get it," I muttered. "I should probalby go before Kyla finds out I'm using up her minutes." I paused for a minute, her breathing heavy on the other line. "Are you sure everything is okay?"

She hesitated for a few seconds. "Everything is fine." Her voice was flat, and I knew instantly that she was lying.

I ran a hand through my hair and let out a sigh. "Alright. I guess I'm doing breakfast solo then."

"I'm sorry," she answered, then she hung up.

I disconnected and looked at the phone, my eyebrows furrowing. I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Kyla coming out of her room, looking dishevelled. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail, and her mouth opened wide as she attempted to stop herself from yawning. She continued onto the kitchen but stopped and turned around.

"Is that my phone?"

I nodded and set it down, still looking at it. "I had to call Spencer. Sorry."

"Whatever, but you're paying for the minutes," she replied, continuing into the kitchen.

**********

I made my way to Spencer's door, two brown paper bags weighing heavily in my hands. I managed to knock lightly on the door with my knee. Seconds later the door opened, and Spencer showed herself. I thought I saw a hint of a small smile cross her face, but it quickly faded.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, moving aside to let me in.

I held up the paper bags. "Since you couldn't come for breakfast, I brought breakfast to you." I started into the kitchen and set the bags on the table. I turned around and started digging through the cupboards, looking for plates, while Spencer got out the bagels and coffee.

"You didn't have to do this," she said, unwrapping a bagel and placing it on a plate I handed her.

I shrugged. "We've been having breakfast every morning since we..." I stopped and she looked up at me. "Broke up." I forced the last two words out of my mouth, then decided to occupy myself with grabbing the coffees out of the bag.

Spencer sat down at the table, absently picking at her food. I sat down opposite her and stuffed the bagel in my mouth, realizing then how hungry I really was. It was silent for a few minutes as I chewed and Spencer picked at her bagel, only reaching for her coffee ocassionally.

I swallowed my mouthful of food. "So how's Carmen?"

Spencer looked up at me, obviously surprised that I was asking. "You really want to know?" She asked.

I wanted to answer truthfully, and tell her I didn't care about Carmen. But if Carmen made her happy, then I wanted to talk about something to cheer her up.

I nodded and stuffed another piece of bagel into my mouth. "Yeah, I do." I washed down my lies with a sip of coffee, wincing as it burned my throat.

Spencer finally took a bite of her bagel. "She's fine," she said plainly.

I raised an eyebrow. "That's it? Nothing new?"

Spencer shook her head and stood up, heading to the sink. She threw her bagel in the garbage and started to rinse her plate off. I stood up as well and took my plate over to her, and she took it from me, wiping the crumbs into the garbge.

"Are you guys getting along okay?" I inquired, leaning on the sink.

Spencer put the plates in the dish rack and turned to me, drying her hands on a dish rag. "Everything is going great," she forced a smile. "We've just gotten into a few fights. Nothing big." She walked back over to the table and started wiping it with the dish rag.

That's when I saw it.

Her sweater had lifted up as she reached across the table. A large bruise was placed on her back. My eyes widened and I walked over to her."Spence?" I asked, my eyes still glued to her bruise.

Spencer turned around, her shirt falling back down. "Yeah?" She asked.

I didn't know how to ask her what I thought was going on. I hesitated, and I probably looked like an idiot standing there, my mouth open as I contemplated what to say.

"That bruise. What happened?" I asked, trying to sound as calm as possible.

A flash of regret flashed in Spencer's eyes, and she subconsciously wrapped her arms around her waist, holding her sweater down. "I was at Chelsea's paint studio and I fell into the wall."

"You fell into the wall?" I asked skeptically.

"Yeah, I tripped over one of her paint buckets." Spencer said, avoiding my gaze. She pushed herself off the table and walked to the sink again, placing the dish rag on it. "It's not a big deal."

"How hard did you hit it?" Even I knew, in all my clumsiness, that falling into a wall would not cause as bad a bruise as Spencer had on her back.

"It's not important. I'm clumsy, that's it. You've known me three years."

"Yeah, and I've never seen you with a bruise, except that one time that guy elbowed you in the face." She visibly winced at this, and my eyes widened. "Did someone hit you?" I asked suddenly.

"What?" She asked, shocked. "No. Who would do that?" She was hesitating.

"Almost anybody with a bad temper." I stepped forward, and she stumbled away from me, hitting the counter. "Spencer, tell me." I walked right up to her, pinning her against the sink. "Did someone do this to you." My voice was stern.

She lowered her eyes to the ground and shook her head. I could see tears start to well up in her eyes. "I just got into a fight, that's it."

"Who was it?" I demanded.

"It doesn't matter. They're not going to bother me again." She pushed against me, forcing me to step back.

I grabbed her and gently pushed her back to the sink, placing my arms on both sides of her so she wouldn't escape. "Tell me the name." I whispered, lowering my face to hers.

"Why? Why do you need to know?" She asked.

I grinned, but there was no smile in it. "Amuse me."

"Get off me," she hissed.

"Tell me first." I replied, knowing that sounded like a fifth graders response. When Spencer didn't answer, I lowered my face a little more, so that I was only inches away from hers. "You can trust me," I whispered, locking eyes with her. "Believe it or not, Spencer, I care about you. If someone has hurt you, I just want to know who it is."

"Glen," she finally answered. "We were fighting over the remote, and he pushed me off the couch. I landed on my stomach and he jumped on my back." She forced a laugh. "I got him back, though, don't worry."

Something didn't fit right with me. "Glen's your brother. And while he's a complete asshole, he would never hurt you like that." I shook my head and turned around. "You're lying, Spencer." I turned to face her, to see that she was trembling. "Obviously you don't trust me enough to tell me the truth."

"You're the one who brought this whole thing up."

"Have you seen the size of the bruise? That's not something you get from falling into a wall, or having your big brother jump on you. It looks more like someone kicked you."

"What do you want me to say, Ashley!? I told you the truth, but you won't accept it." Spencer flung her arms out.

It was silent in the room for a few minutes, the only sound was our heavy breathing. Finally, I raised my head. "Glen really jumped on you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes a little.

Spencer nodded vigorously. "Yes. I would never lie to you, Ashley. And Glen has been apologizing ever since. He's grounded for putting a boot size print on my back."

I walked back over to her and grabbed her hand, pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I didn't mean to overreact."

Spencer pulled away and laughed. "You always were a little too protective."

I smiled and wiped a piece of stray hair behind her ear. A tense moment passed. I felt like a statue, standing there, still as can be, my hand cupping her face. I wanted more than anything in that moment to just lean down and-

She cleared her throat, interrupting my thoughts. I stepped back, my hand falling off her face. I felt a blush coming on, realizing what a stupid move that was. "I should go," I said, nodding towards the front door. "When I left, Kyla had Aiden over. God only knows what those two would be doing." I stood there for another second. "Okay, so yeah. I'll see you later." I turned and hurried out of the kitchen, feeling her eyes burn a hole through my back the entire time.

By the time I had gotten out to my car, Glen and Spencer's parents had returned. I turned to them and waved. Paula didn't look to happy to see me. Of course, when is she ever happy to see me? Arthur waved back at me, trying to balance a brown bag in his other hand.

I walked over to Glen and grabbed one of the bags from him, relieving him of overloading himself.

"Thanks," he muttered, closing the trunk with his free hand.

"Nice move, by the way." I said, walking with him to the front door.

He set the bag down on the step and turned to look at me. "Move? What are you talking about?"

"Jumping on Spencer, giving her that huge bruise. I heard you're grounded."

Glen let out a laugh. "I never touched her, and I'm not grounded." He picked up the bag and took the one from me, cradling it in the crook of his arm. "Whatever she's telling you, it's a lie." He looked me over before heading into the house, closing the door behind him.

I don't know how long I stood there, my eyes glued to the door.

But at that point, I was absolutely sure of one thing.

Spencer was hiding something.

And I was going to find out what it was.

**********

I decided to do some investigating of my own, so I went down to Chelsea's paint studio. I opened the door, the smell of fresh paint hitting my nose. I smiled automatically. This place was like a second home to me. This had always been mine and Spencer's spot, when the whole world was against us. All the time we spent in here. All the -

"Ashley?" Another voice interrupted my thoughts. Again.

I turned and saw Chelsea coming towards me, a paintbrush in her hand. She wiped her hands on her smock. "What are you doing here?" She asked. Then, as if she thought she had offended me, she quickly replied, "Not that you're not ever welcome here."

I smiled as Chelsea rambled on. Finally I held up my hand, cutting her off. "Thanks, Chelsea, I get it." I watched her as she leaned over to dip her paintbrush in some paint. She stood up straight and started painting on a blank canvas.

"So, not that I'm not glad to see you, but what brings you here?" She asked, turning to look at me. A little drop of paint fell down onto her smock, and she absently wiped at it, making the spot spread. She looked down and swore to herself, then looked back up at me. "Spencer isn't here, as you can see." She smiled and went back to her painting.

"Actually, I came here to talk to you about Spencer."

This caught Chelsea's attention. She turned back to me and set her paintbrush down. "What about Spencer?" She asked.

I self consciously put my hands in my pockets and shifted my feet on the spot. "Have you noticed anything different about her lately?"

Chelsea thought for a few seconds, cocking her head to the side. "She has been quieter than usual lately. I just thought it was because her and Carmen got into a fight the other night."

This perked my interest. "Her and Carmen got into a fight?" I asked. "Over what?"

Chelsea shrugged. "You know Carmen. She has a hot temper." She dipped her paintbrush in a glass of water. "Between you and me, I don't like her. That girl gives me a bad feeling."

I took a seat on one of the boxes. That's when the corner of the room caught my eye. "What happened there?" I asked, indicating to the mess. A few paintings were pushed over, broken bottles of paint and paint remover spilled on the floor.

Chelsea looked over to where I was pointing. "Ask Carmen."

"Carmen did this?"

"I'm not sure what happened, to be honest."

I stood up and walked over to the mess, kneeling down. "What do you think happened?"

"I don't want to rush to conclusions, but when I got back from Ego, Spencer was sitting on the floor crying. I asked her what happened, and all she told me was that she and Carmen got into a fight. Before I could get anything else out of her, she left."

"Obviously in a hurry," I mumbled, noticing Spencer's I.D on the ground. I picked it up and examined it. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Chelsea. "Do their fights ever get physical?" I asked, standing up.

"Has something happened to Spencer?" Chelsea asked, suddenly alarmed.

I didn't want to worry her, so I shook my head. I placed the I.D in my pocket and smiled. "No. Carmen just...gives me a bad feeling, too." I nodded my thanks to Chelsea. "Just do me a favour, okay?"

"Anything," Chelsea replied.

"Keep an eye on Spencer. If anything unusual comes up, I want you to call me."

Chelsea furrowed her eyebrows. "Unusual how?"

I shrugged, trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible. "If they get into anymore fights. If Carmen does something."

"Something's happened, hasn't it?"

I knew she'd see through my fake smile. I slowly nodded. "I'm not sure what it is, but Carmen is bad news, Chelsea."

Chelsea took a seat and hunched forward. "God, this is all my fault. I'm the one who put them together. I thought they'd make such a perfect couple." She lowered her head into her hands.

I sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. "It's not your fault. I don't even know if it's true. I just have this feeling in the pit of my stomach that Spencer isn't telling the truth."

Chelsea looked up at me, her eyes brimming with tears. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

I paused for a second. Then, I felt a small smile spread across my lips. "Do you have Carmen's home address?"

**********

I had sat in my car for what seemed like two hours before I finally got the nerve to go up and knock on the door. I heard a baby cry out, and a woman shouting, telling it to be quiet. I was about to turn around and jump back into my car when I heard the door open.

A young woman popped her head out, looking me up and down, her eyes scrutinizing every move I made. "What?" She asked, almost rudely.

"Is Carmen here?" I asked, trying not to stutter my words.

The woman took a deep breath and closed the door. I heard her shout Carmen's name. A few seconds later Carmen came to the door, looking well...let's just say she didn't look happy to see me.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. I guess rudeness runs in the family.

"I was just wondering if Spencer was here," I lied.

Carmen raised an eyebrow. "Does it look like this house has enough room for Spencer, too?"

"Hey, speaking of Spencer, how are you guys doing?"

Carmen crossed her arms over her chest. "That's really none of your business."

I held up my hands. "Okay, I'm just trying to be nice."

"Go home, Ashley." She said, shaking her head. She started to close the door, when I caught it with my foot. She gave me a puzzled look.

"You should apologize to Chelsea," I said.

Carmen scoffed. "For what?"

"Ruining two of her paintings, when you threw Spencer into the wall." Okay, so subtlety isn't one of my skills.

"She told you?" Carmen asked.

I have to admit, I was a little surprised she didn't deny it. I was not expecting that. Another thing I wasn't expecting was the look on Carmen's face. Like she hadn't done anything wrong. "If I knew you weren't going to deny it, I would have come to you first," I snapped.

"It was one time." Carmen shrugged it off. "I told her I was sorry, and frankly, it's none of your business."

I felt my temper starting to flare again, and I gritted my teeth. "It is my business when Spencer is involved."

"You two broke up! You no longer have a place in her life." She smiled smugly. "I'm her new love."

"You stay the hell away from her!"

"Make me."

I would've. I swear, I was gonna put Carmen in her place. But then I noticed a big monster come up behind her. My eyes widened as the big bear looked down at me, scratching at his goatee.

"Is there a problem here?" He asked, his voice rough.

Carmen, still looking at me, and obviously enjoying my surprise, shook her head. "She was just leaving. Weren't you, Ashley?"

I stepped off the steps backwards, tripping a little. I couldn't take my eyes off the burly man in the doorway, cracking his knuckles. I got into my car and peeled out of the driveway, not looking back once.

**********

"You ran away?" Kyla asked, slightly surprised.

I looked at her, offended. "I didn't run. I would've punched her right out, if her big burly friend hadn't come to the door. And something tells me he's not against hitting girls." I laid back on my bed and sighed. "What am I supposed to do? This is the second time Carmen's hit her."

Kyla pursed her lips. "Well, there might be one way to show Spencer that Carmen is bad news."

I sat up, intrigued. "Really?"

Kyla nodded. "Yeah. But I have a feeling you're not going to like the plan."

**I struggled with this chapter, so I hope it came off as a good read. I hope you enjoyed it, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts!**


	3. Chapter 3

****

Thanks for the reviews of the last chapter, guys. I really appreciate reviews. And sorry I haven't updated for almost a month, I've had such bad writers block for the past couple of months, which has really put a damper in my writing. I had some trouble with this chapter, it went through about three different drafts before I finally settled on this one. Hopefully you enjoy.

Chapter Three: Behind Closed Doors

I stared at Kyla for a few seconds, an eyebrow cocked. "A plan?" I asked, my voice holding obvious concern. When it came to Kyla and plans, I didn't want to be involved. I shifted on the bed so I was facing her more fully.

She obviously saw the look on my face, and let out a small laugh. "Yeah, that's why I'm not so sure you'll like it." She lifted a hand to her head and unconciously played with a piece of stray hair.

"Does it involve me getting killed?" I asked, and she must have thought I was being sarcastic, because she let out another laugh. When she looked at my face during her fit of laughter, she stopped laughing automatically.

"No promises," she said, smiling almost innocently, her white teeth beaming.

I got up off the bed and shook my head as I walked to the door. "No way." I stood at the barrier of beads that made up my door and pointed out to the living room. "Leave. Now."

"You haven't even heard my plan," she whined, patting the spot beside her, hoping I would go back to her and sit down.

I crossed my arms over my chest, my body language clearly saying I wasn't falling for her charade.

"You're obligated to listen to me," she said.

"How?" I asked, scoffing a little.

Kyla smiled and laid her head against the headboard. "Because I'm your sister, so that makes you obligated to listen to what I have to say."

"You're my half sister, which means I only have to listen to half of what you say, and you've already wasted your half," I snapped back, pointing out to the living room again. "Out now."

Kyla let out a long breath of air and slowly made her way out of my bed, tkaing her sweet time. I sighed and opened my eyes wide in exaggeration, showing her my impatience.

She finally made her way out of my bed and stumbled to the doorway, holding herself up on the frame. She held her hands out, as if indicating something. "Just give me one minute to explain," she begged, cocking her head.

I looked at my watch and nodded. "You have fifty seconds."

"What!?" She asked.

"You just wasted ten seconds by saying that." I couldn't help but smile when I see her roll her eyes. "Keep going," I say, waving my hand.

"Okay," Kyla starts, holding up her hands. "Spencer doesn't know just how abusive Carmen is."

I raised an eyebrow. "She's been hit by her two times, and she doesn't know how abusive her own girlfriend is?" I asked, a tone of sarcasm in my voice.

Kyla waved a hand in front of my face, shushing me. "What I mean is, it happens in every abusive relationship. The one who ends up getting hit is in denial of just how abusive their partner really is." She paused, and when I didn't object, she continued on. "So, what Spencer needs to see is the very side of Carmen which will wake her up, and she'll realize just how bad of a relationship she's in."

I bit my lip, contemplating what Kyla was explaining. "So, you want Carmen to beat someone up in front of Spencer, is that it?"

"That pretty much sums it up, yeah." Kyla slapped her hands to her thighs and sat back down on my bed.

I paused, thinking. "That is...the stupidest plan you've ever come up with."

Her face dropped. "I know for a fact it will work."

"Who's going to be the lucky girl to get beaten up by Carmen?" I asked sarcastically.

Kyla paused, her eyes darting around the room. When she didn't say anything, my jaw opened wide.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" I screeched. "I am not going anywhere near that gorilla!"

Kyla stood up and walked toward me, holding her hands out. "You don't have to really go near her. You just have to provoke her."

"Into beating me up," I snapped, turning around and rushing out of the room, throwing the beads over my shoulder. I heard Kyla let out a yelp, and thought I had hit her in the head with the beads. I smiled to myself despite the situation, and went over to the kitchen, leaning on the counter.

"This plan will work," Kyla said, coming up beside me.

"How do you know?" I asked, turning to face her.

Her gaze darted away from mine and she looked down at the ground, shuffling her feet. "I just know it will," she replied, her voice lowering.

I stepped closer and placed a hand on her arm. "I'm not going to put Spencer in danger because of something you don't know anything about," I said, my tone firm and final.

She looked up at me now, and I saw a flash of pain in her eyes. "I would never put Spencer in danger. You need to trust me, Ashley. Please."

Part of me didn't want to trust her. But the sister part of me tuned into what was going on. I took a deep breath and raised my eyebrows. "You've been through this before, haven't you?"

She stepped back from me, nodding a little. "Before I came here, my best friend had a relationship with this really cute guy. He was everything to her. But the only thing was that he hit her. All the time. The first time, she thought nothing of it." She took a breath, looking at me. I nodded, letting her know I was still listening.

"The second time it happened, she was still in denial, no matter how many times I told her that she was in a bad relationship. She just thought no matter what happened, he still loved her, and he just had a hard time showing it. Her ex boyfriend found out eventually, and confronted him. It wasn't until she saw him beating the crap out of her ex boyfriend, that she realized how dangerous he really was." She leaned against the counter, leaning into me.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and rested my head on hers. "Why didn't you tell me this before?" I asked.

"What happened back home stayed back home." She lifted her head off mine and turned it so she was looking at me. "You have to trust me on this, Ashley. As stupid as it sounds, you really don't know how dangerous someone is until you see them beating up someone you love." She paused. "Do it for Spencer."

She got me there. I shook my head and mumbled something that Kyla couldn't hear. Then I turned my body to her and tried to smile. "So, how do we do this?"

**********

For someone who was about to get their ass kicked, I was in a surprisingly good mood. By the time Kyla and I had gotten to the club, the butterflies in my stomach were gone. I slid out of the driver's side of the car and made my way to the club door. I lied. The nervousness had suddenly come back, and I fiddled with my car keys anxiously as Kyla came up beside me, placing a comforting hand on my arm.

"Are you sure they're both going to be here?" I asked, looking at her from the corner of my eyes.

Kyla nodded to the doorman, who stood aside to let us in. She started into the club, and grabbed my arm, so I was dragged along. "As far as I know, Spencer said she'd be here with Carmen tonight." She went immediately to the bar and waved her hand. "Vodka, please," she ordered, as the bartender came over. She turned to me. "Want something to calm your nerves?"

"Please," I replied, nodding at the bartender. "Anything really strong."

Music was blaring from the speakers and I had to strain to hear anything that Kyla was saying. After a few frustrating moments, I took my drink and led her into the back of the room, where it was quieter.

"Having second thoughts?" Kyla asked, taking a sip of her drink.

I raised an eyebrow. "If you were about to get your ass kicked, wouldn't you?"

Kyla made a noise in her throat and set her drink down. Hurriedly, she twisted me around. "Now's your chance," she said, pointing.

I looked to where she was pointing and saw that Spencer and Carmen had just come in, Carmen holding Spencer's hand and tugging her along effortlessly behind her. I growled low in my throat, narrowing my eyes.

The bitch was going down.

I took a long chug of my drink and winced as the alcohol burned my throat. I passed my cup to Kyla, who tenderly pushed me towards them.

"Go get 'em, Tiger." Were her only words of encouragement as I strode through the crowd, weaving my way through dancing couples and other couples with locked lips.

As I made my way to them, I saw Spencer head off to the bar, and Carmen turned to a nearby person and started chatting.

"Go see her," Kyla urged again, giving me a little shove, before she headed off. I started to call her back, then I saw that Aiden had come in, and decided against it.

I nodded my head and made my way towards the bar. I leaned on the bar and held my hand up, signaling the bartender. I fiddled with the straps on my purse as I waited for him. I turned my head slightly to see Spencer waiting for him as well, eagerly tapping her fingers on the bar. She pursed her lips and grabbed a handful of nuts, popping them into her mouth.

I slid over to her, taking it one stool at a time. By the time I had gotten to an old man sitting beside her, the bartender had already come over to her and asked what she wanted. I stepped past the old man and came up beside her, just as the bartender was handing her the drinks.

I grabbed one from the bar. "Let me take that for you," I said, and she was about to object when she looked up and saw me. She didn't bother to hide her surprise.

"Ashley, what are you doing here?" She asked, looking over her shoulder.

As if on reflex, I looked over my shoulder, too, seeing that Carmen was still talking to her friend, not paying any attention to Spencer.

"I'm always here," I joked, laughing a little.

She took the drink from my hand. "I should get back to Carmen." She started to weave her way through the crowd, but I reached over and grabbed her arm, gently pulling her back towards me. "Ashley..." she started to object, but I held my hand up, cutting her off.

"I'm not going to lecture you tonight. I just want to spend time with you. Like old times." I raised my eyebrows.

She turned her head around to look back at Carmen. "I don't think Carmen will like that idea."

"Screw her," I snapped, taking the drinks from her hand and setting them on the bar. I turned back to her and grabbed her hand, leading her into the crowd. "Come on," I called over my shoulder. "Let's dance."

She didn't try to pull away from me, which I guessed was a good sign. The music started up, a techno beat, and I started to dance, encouraging her to dance along with me. Twisting around, I saw Kyla and Aiden standing by the speakers, both nodding their head in acknowledgement.

I reached over and grabbed Spencer's hand. She still seemed tense, and kept looking over her shoulder every few seconds. I scooted in close to her, and twisted her around, wrapping an arm around her waist. She leaned into me so close that I could smell her shampoo. I swallowed the lump in my throat, and closed my eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?"

My eyes snapped open, and I saw Carmen tugging Spencer away from me, my hand sliding off her waist.

"I send you off to get drinks and I look over and you're dancing with _her_?" She asked, pointing at me.

"I have a name," I snapped, stepping towards Spencer, who was edging away from Carmen. I placed my left hand on the small of her back, letting her know I was here.

"I wasn't talking to you," Carmen hissed, reaching for Spencer's hand. She tugged her away from me again, and Spencer stumbled, falling into Carmen. "We're leaving," she said, starting to walk through the crowd, dragging Spencer away with her.

I leaped forward, jumping in front of her. "Let her go," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Carmen sneered at me, lifting her upper lip at the corner. "Don't you have some guys to sleep with?" She asked, shouldering me out of the way.

I lifted my arms and shoved her back. She stumbled back into Spencer, who looked shocked. "I said let her go." My hands crumpled into fists at my side. I tensed, waiting for her reaction.

Carmen stopped and studied my face for a few seconds. "You want me to let her go? OK." She shoved Spencer backwards, releasing her grip on Spencer's wrist.

Spencer went stumbling backwards into the crowd, landing on her stomach with a loud thump. She turned around onto her back, holding her hand to her chest. She winced slightly as she tried to move it.

I ground my teeth together and jumped towards Carmen, grabbing the front of her shirt. I flung her into the nearest wall, and with my free hand, I raised it, bringing it down into her face. Hearing a satisfying crack, I smiled lightly.

My small second of satisfaction didn't last, however, as Carmen pushed against my weight, tackling me to the floor. We both fell down, her landing on top of me.

I felt her fist smash against my left eye, and I let out a small cry and pushed against her, shoving her off of me. I recovered myself and stood up, as Carmen started to recover herself. She wiped her mouth and spit out a mouthful of blood. She looked at me, hatred clear in her eyes. I raised my hand and felt my eye, which was already swelling up.

"You're so going to regret doing that," Carmen hissed, making her way towards me.

I prepared myself, tensing my body, my fists held firmly at my sides. _Bring it, bitch, _I thought, feeling a smile crease my lips. My smile faded as I saw Carmen's group of friends appear from the crowd, similar scowls on all their faces.

Carmen smirked and wiped her mouth again. She cocked her head towards her friends. "On second thought, I think I'll let my friends deal with you."

My stomach sunk as the man from the other day stood beside the other three people. "Shit." I mumbled.

As the ystarted towards me, I twisted around and ran through the crowd, heading towards the doors. Kyla and Aiden ran up beside me, struggling to keep up.

"Get to my car, quick!" Aiden yelled, holding the door open for us as we ran out. My legs started feeling weak, and I could barely see out of my one eye. I felt a small sense of hope, however, as I saw Aiden's car sitting there, parked in the lot across the street.

I stopped to catch my breath and looked over my shoulder, seeing the four people just coming out of the exit. Kyla grabbed my arm firmly and tugged me along. By the time we had gotten to Aiden's car, Carmen's friends were already halfway to us, and gaining speed. Hastily, I jumped into the passenger seat and Kyla slid into the back seat. I felt panic overcome me as Aiden shut his door and stumbled with the keys, attempting to place them in the ignition.

"Hurry!" I cried, looking out the window. They were only twenty feet away now. I punched Aiden in the arm repeatedly. "Go! Go!"

"I'm trying!" He yelled back, finally managing to slide the key into the ignition. He twisted it and started the car, putting it in reverse. Not looking behind him, he peeled out of the parking spot, the tires squealing loudly.

I looked over my shoulder to see the four friends stop running. They started shouting, waving their hands in the air. I laid my head back on the seat and let out a sigh. I shook my head, closing my eyes.

"Yeah, really great plan, Kyla."

**So, this was a chapter I really had trouble with. I sort of wrote before I thought, so to speak. I didn't really know what sort of plan Kyla was going to come up with, so I made up this one. I'm sorry if it came off as a stupid plan, but I thought it worked out alright. Hopefully you liked this chapter, and don't forget to review. Tell me what you thought :).**


	4. Chapter 4

**So, here is the next chapter, a little shorter than my other ones, but probably my favourite one so far. Why? You'll find out when you read ;). You might hate me by the end of it, though. but enjoy anyway!**

**Chapter Four: All I Need**

I looked at my reflection in the mirror, wincing at my appearance. My eyes had swollen up to the size of a grapefruit, though Kyla kept telling me I was just over-exaggerating. Still, I continued to ignore her, instead choosing to wallow in my own self pity. Selfish, I know. I should be worrying about Spencer right now, instead of worrying about how my appearance looked. It doesn't mean I don't care about her, of course. My stomach churned as I realized that I had left Spencer with a very pissed off Carmen. Great.

I turned to Kyla, who was sitting beside my bed, in one of my comfy lounge chairs. "Yeah, this was a really great plan, Kyla." I told her, sarcasm practically dripping in my voice. I turned back to the mirror and made a disgusted face at myself before throwing the mirror back down onto the bed. I twisted around so that I was facing Kyla, who was innocently playing with her hands, pretending that she had done nothing wrong. This was usually her strategy for when a plan of hers went wrong: pretend that she had nothing to do with it.

"Look on the bright side," she said, holding her arms out as she stretched lazily in the chair. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave me a small smile.

"What bright side?" I asked.

She thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Okay, there is none. But it could have been worse."

I thought about the pissed off Carmen, and the torment Spencer might be going through right now. I gestured to my eye as well. "How could it have been worse?" I was starting to lose my patience.

She pursed her lips and thought again for another few seconds. "Okay, it couldn't have been worse."

"Kyla!" I yelled, throwing my hands up in the air.

"I'm only trying to help!" She yelled back, pushing herself off the chair. She walked over to the beads that served as my door and pushed them aside, peering into the living room.

"Kyla," I repeated, a little calmer this time.

She twisted her head around to look at me. "Yes?"

"Stop helping." I snapped, throwing my feet over the edge of the bed. I stood up and pushed roughly past her into the living room, headed for the kitchen. What I needed right now was possibly some strong coffee. I shook my head. _That's not what I need,_ I thought. And I knew what I needed at that moment. I needed to know Spencer was okay.

I half-heartedly threw a couple spoonfuls of coffee grounds into the coffee maker. Closing the lid, I prepared the coffee while Kyla paced around the living room. I looked up. "Kyla, what are you doing?" I asked. "You're making me nervous."

"I am nervous," she replied, stopping her pacing for a few seconds to look at me before returning to it. "Carmen knws where we live. She could send her friends after us." She looked nervously at the door, as if expecting it to slam open any second.

"Us?" I replied. "I was the one who practically stole Spencer from her and then punched her in the face. If she's coming after anyone, it's going to be me." I watched as the coffee slowly poured into the mug, wishing it would hurry up. I needed a serious dose of caffeine, and I needed it now. I heard Kyla let out a screech as the door slowly opened. I snapped my body up straight and looked over, my heart racing.

"Aiden!" Kyla screeched, smacking him in the chest. "You're such an asshole! Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" She ran a hand over her face, her other hand placed on her chest. She was clearly shaken.

I stood in the kitchen, watching as Aiden laughed and leaned over to give Kyla a kiss on the lips. My mind flashed with images of Spencer, and I felt a surge of jealousy rage through my stomach and chest. "Hey, pretty boy, what're you doing here anyway?" I asked, trying to keep the envy out of my voice.

Aiden straightened up and wrapped an arm around Kyla's shoulders. He turned to look at me. "I came to make sure you girls were all right, after everything that happened last night." He bent down and kissed Kyla's cheek. I felt myself gag.

"Aw, our own personal bodyguard," I replied sarcastically. I heard the coffee machine beep and walked over, pouring some into a mug that was laying on the counter. Taking a sip, I grimaced. Too bitter. Shrugging it off, I took another sip anyway.

Aiden beamed a little bit, and I instantly regretted feeding his enourmous ego. His hands slid down to Kyla's waist and he nodded his head towards the door. "Want to go get something to eat?" He couldn't keep the hopefullness out of his voice.

Kyla looked at me for a second before turning her attention back to Aiden. "It's three in the morning."

Aiden shrugged. "So? It's Los Angeles. Everything's open." He started walking backwards, dragging her along with him. "Come on, I'll buy you a taquito, on me." He opened the door with his free hand and waved her out.

Kyla looked at me and I nodded. "Go ahead, but bring me back one." She nodded back and ran out the door with Aiden. I heard her halfway down the hall screaming his name. I rolled my eyes and set my mug down. Before walking out of the kitchen, I turned the lights off, casting the entire apartment in darkness. I shivered a little and wrapped my arms around myself, quickly scuttering to my bedroom.

I jumped under the covers and wrapped the blankets around myself. Los Angeles was usually always hot, so why did I suddenly feel chilly? I closed my eyes and felt myself drifting into a deep sleep.

I woke up to the constant, annoying knocking on the front door. Still groggy, my hand fumbled over to the bedside clock. I looked at it. 5:00 am. Rubbing my good eye, I threw the covers off and slowly made my way into the living room. I placed my hand on the knob and turned, jerking the door open. "Kyla, did you forget your key again?" I asked, as the door opened. My hand dropped off the knob in surprise. It wasn't Kyla standing there.

"Spencer." I felt myself mouth the word, but I didn't hear my voice come out. Or if it did, it came out cracked. I don't know how long I stood there, staring at her, in my doorway. She looked so broken, so sad. Her head was tilted downwards, looking at the floor. Instinctively, my eyes grazed over her, looking for new marks. When I didn't find any that were visible, I felt my body loosen in relief.

"Hey." She said, finally turning her head to look at me. Her hands were drawn together, clasped by her stomach. I could see the sadness in her eyes as her eyes moved towards my black eye. Tears welled up in her eyes, but stayed unfallen.

"You should see the other girl," I replied, trying to make a joke. It obviously wasn't working. Her bottom lip trembled, and I opened my mouth to say something that would comfort her, something that would make her feel better. But I couldn't find any words. So instead, I stepped aside and gestured for her to come in.

Even though she had been here too many times to count, she still stepped in timidly, caustiously. She nearly jumped when I shut the door behind her. I looked down at my feet and only then realized that I was in my boxer shorts that I used to sleep in. I blushed. Not sure why. She had seen me in them before. I guess it just seemed different now that we were....just friends.

"Do you want something to drink?" I asked, heading to the kitchen. I realized that the apartment was still dark, so I turned on the light. I grabbed two glasses from the cabinet and turned around. She had come into the kitchen. She sat down at the table and I sat down as well, passing her a glass. Kyla had left the juice out again. I reached over to it and poured us both a glass.

I tapped my fingers along the glass, waiting for the silence to be broken. But I couldn't find anything to say. I looked over at her, and we locked eyes. I broke the eye contact first. It felt too awkward. "So..." I started. I thought I'd get the obvious question out of the way first. "What brings you here at five in the morning?"

She hesitated, obviously trying to find a way to answer. Instead, she took a sip of her drink. When she had swallowed her mouthful, she cleared her throat. "I wanted to see you."

This took me by surprise, I have to admit. In the last couple of months, she had been trying to avoid me. And right here, at my own kitchen table, she tells me she wanted to see me. I licked my lips as I thought of a possible answer. When I couldn't come up with anything, I did what she did. I took a large gulp of my juice. I swallowed it and started coughing. I guess I had taken too much. Way to go, Ashley. After my coughing fit was done, the silence returned. "I wanted to see you, too." Was all I could come up with. Lame, right? Then, realizing that Carmen was mightily pissed off when I had ran out of there, I asked; "What happened to you at the club? After I left?"

"I left before you did." She must have seen the surprised look on my face, because she continued on. "I snuck out after Carmen hit you. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," I said. I felt a great sense of relief fall over me. At least she was okay. For now.

She took a deep breath and took another drink. I waited patiently, watching her carefully. She finally placed her glass down, after chugging half the glass, and looked me dead in the eye. "Are you okay?" She asked gently.

She was the one in the abusive relationship, and she was asking if I was alright? This broke my heart. "I'm fine," I assured her, gesturing to myself. "She hardly got a hit in." I smiled crookedly, and I saw the hint of a relieved smile twitch at Spencer's lips. "Are you?" I asked, my voice serious now.

"No." She answered, after a few moments of silence. "I'm not." She slid her chair back and stood up. I stood up as well and followed her as she walked out into the living room. She sat on the couch and I sat on the chair next to the couch, not wanting to get too close.

"I miss you, Ashley," she admitted, looking down at the ground.

My heart leaped in the chest. I felt myself twitching, my body wanting to react to that sentence somehow. But I stayed as still as possible as I waited for her to continue.

She looked up at me finally, and a tear slid down her face. "I need you." She wiped the tear away angrily and sighed loudly. "God, I can't believe I said that." She stood up. She was jumpy tonight. "I should go. I don't know why I came here." She started toward the door, but I jumped up and grabbed her arm, gently, and pulled her back.

"Wait." I pleaded, turning her around to face me. "Don't leave." I stepped a little closer.

She stepped back. "Ashley, please." She went to look down at the ground again, but I cupped my hand under her chin and pulled her face up to look at me.

"Don't go back to her." There was a sense of begging in my voice. I felt myself wanting to cry. This came as a slight surprise to me.

"I need to," she whispered.

I shook my head and my hand slipped down to her hand. "Please." I begged, and felt tears well up in my eyes. She looked up at me with such sadness in her eyes, which made my stomach drop. "You don't need her." I could feel my body quivering, my hands trembling as I stepped closer to her. She didn't step back this time.

"If I don't go back..." She didn't finish the sentence. We both knew what would happen. She started rubbing her left arm, nervously looking at the door every few seconds.

"Stay with me." I reached out and grabbed her hand. I started caresseing it with my thumb and smiled at her faintly, trying to comfort her.

"But what about Carmen?" She asked.

"I'll look after you," I promised. I leaned down as she started to open her mouth again. Before I knew what I was doing, my mouth was on hers. I felt her try to push me away, but after a few seconds, her arms wrapped around my neck, pulling me closer to her. I wrapped my arms around her waist.

She moaned a little in her throat and pressed herself against me, and I fell back against the wall, still managing to hold her in my grip. One hand ran along her back, the other running through her hair. My hands fumbled towards her jacket, and I unzipped it clumsily. She shrugged it off and threw it behind us.

She pulled back for a second, breathing heavily. I looked her over. "Spencer..." I started, but she cut me off with a quick kiss. She pulled away again and stumbled over to my bedroom, dragging me along with her.

We burst through the beads and onto my bed, me toppling on top of her. I hovered above her, not wanting to put all my weight on her. We broke apart again as my mouth moved down to her neck. Her breath was heavy on my face, and I felt her hands tugging at the belt of my jeans.

It was something I would regret later, but I pulled away from her, rolling over to the side. She sat up and looked at me, disappointment in her eyes. I stood up, pushing myself off the bed and turned to face her, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry." She said, getting up as well. "I don't know what got into me." She flushed a little.

"Don't be," I replied. I cupped her face with my hands and smiled. "I just don't want you to do anything you might regret later." I leaned up and kissed the top of her head.

She nodded in understanding and looked around the room. "My parents are out of town. Again. And Glen's at Madison's. Can I....stay with you?"

"Always." I replied without hesitation. "You take the bed, I'll go make up the couch." I started to head out of the room but heard her call my name. I twisted around, swatting beads out of my face.

"Can you stay with me?" She asked nervously, rubbing her arms. "I don't want to be alone."

I nodded and walked over to her, bringing her into a tight hug. I felt her arms tighten around me briefly, before she let go. She headed over to the bed and pulled back the covers on the father side. She slid into the sheets, and I followed suit. She rolled over to face me, and I smiled, wrapping an arm around her waist, and pulled her closer. She closed her eyes and her breathing slowed. I watched her for the next couple of minutes before my eyelids got too heavy and I closed my eyes.

"I love you." I whispered, before falling asleep.

**Okay, don't hate me! There were three different directions I could have taken this chapter, but I chose this one for a reason. If I had let them continue in the direction they were going, it would seem too fast. So, being the good friend/ex-girlfriend that she is, Ashley had to put a stop to it before Spencer regretted it. But the question is, what will Spencer do now? And what about Carmen? Hope you enjoyed, and I look forward to your feedback!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, sorry for the long delay. Summer has been going by too fast! I hope you're all enjoying the summer, and school break, and to help keep you entertained, here's another chapter of 'Rescue Me'. Reviews are more than welcome! I'm heading away for four days to camp, so give me something to read when I come back ;). **

**Chapter Five: You And Me**

My eyes fluttered open slowly as the realization of daylight hit me. I lifted my arms above my head and stretched, lowering them to the spot beside me, where all I felt was empty air. Alarmed, I sat up quickly, only to see that the bed was empty. I felt my heart drop and I threw the covers off before swinging around. My feet touched the carpet, and I jumped off the bed, making my way into the living room.

I heard the water running in the kitchen and I walked in, feeling a broad smile take over my face as I saw Spencer standing there with Kyla. She looked like she had just showered, and stolen some of my clothes. I didn't mind.

"Hey, sleeping beauty," Kyla said, nodding her head towards a brown bag on the kitchen table. "I brought you back a taquito, but it's probably cold by now." She turned back to the eggs she was making and turned to Spencer. "Can you pass me the milk?"

Spencer grabbed the carton of milk and passed it over to Kyla. She twisted her head to look at me, and saw that I was staring at her, still smiling. Her cheeks turned a little red and she turned back to Kyla, playfully picking at the eggs from the pan. Kyla nudged her the other way, laughing.

I crossed my arms and leaned against the table, watching them as they interacted. That was one of the best things about Kyla. She could become friends with practically anyone, and treat them like a good friend. I was glad Spencer and her were friends.

And Spencer. She looked happy. I felt a sense of happiness as I watched her and Kyla playfully pushing each other. I walked over to the other side of her and placed my hand on the small of her back as I watched them make the eggs. She leaned into me a little, resting her head on my shoulder. I could smell the faint scent of my strawberry shampoo, and closed my eyes, savoring the scent.

"Aiden! Breakfast's ready!" Kyla yelled, taking the sizzling pan off the stove. She took it over to the table and scooped a couple spoonfuls of eggs onto a small plate.

"Aiden stayed over?" I asked.

Kyla looked up at me and smiled, now putting the rest of the eggs on a bigger plate. "Yeah, it was really early by the time we got home, so I just invited him to stay the night...or morning." She flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Aiden! Come and get it before Ashley eats it all!"

"Hey!" I snapped, and Spencer chuckled a little. "You think that's funny?" I asked, looking at her. When she nodded, I wrapped my arms around her waist and dragged her over to the couch, practically throwing her on it. She screamed a little, barely managing to hide her laughter, and I jumped on top of her, my fingers running over her sides.

"Ash, stop!" She screamed out, laughing so hard I could barely understand her. I leaned in and kissed her forehead, my fingers finally resting on her hips.

"Better?" I asked. She nodded and shifted underneath me. I realized then that I was practically straddling her, and I moved to get off, but she grabbed my wrist and pulled me back. Our eyes locked for a moment before I leaned down and kissed her on the nose. She wrinkled up her nose and pushed me back, and I almost fell off the couch.

Laughing, I started to get off her, and grabbed her hands to stand her up with me. "Let's go get some breakfast," I suggested, wrapping her arms around my waist.

"Like old times?" She asked.

I nodded. "Like old times." I assured her. I looked myself over and felt my cheeks get hot. "Just let me go change first." I unwrapped her arms from mine and jogged into the bedroom, nearly knocking Aiden over as he came out of Kyla's room, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Long night?" I asked.

He nodded and opened his mouth, letting out a loud yawn. "Your sister is a wild child."

I held up my hand. "I don't want to know." I shut the door in his face before he could get another word in.

After having a quick shower and getting dressed, I jogged out to the living room, where Aiden was sitting on the couch with Kyla and Spencer, stuffing his face with eggs. In between bites, he was trying to tell them a joke, and failing, from the looks on the girls faces. I decided to go to Spencer's rescue.

"Hey, Aiden, chew your food before you swallow. I can't believe you kiss my sister with that mouth," I said, slightly disgusted by the way eggs were dripping from his mouth.

He gave me a half smile, his right cheek puffed out from a mouthful of eggs. "Ha ha." He replied in boredom, going back to his eggs.

I threw Spencer a jacket and she shrugged it on as I reached for the car keys. I twirled the keys around in my hands as I waited for her to say goodbye to Kyla and Aiden. As soon as she was ready, I reached for the door handle and opened it for her, letting her go out first. "Where do you want to go?" I asked as I closed the door behind us, and locked it.

Spencer shrugged. "Wherever you want."

"There's this great place downtown, serves some of the best eggs." I smiled and nudged her playfully with my hip. She laughed and rested her head on my shoulder.

"I'll go wherever you are," she replied sleepily.

I kissed the top of her head as we made our way out to my car. Spencer unlinked our arms and started to the passenger side. She slid in as I opened the driver's door. My cell phone suddenly burst out the newest tune of Christina Aguilera. I held up my cell phone and looked at Spencer. "One second," I said, slightly annoyed, before I flipped open my phone and held it up to my ear. "Yeah?"

Spencer waited patiently, twirling her fingers. She jumped a little when she heard my scream echo throughout the parking lot.

"No way!" I screamed, jumping up and down a little. I heard Spencer jump out of the car and come to my side, concern on her face. "Thanks a lot!" I cried and hung up the phone. I twisted to her and grabbed her hand. "Guess who just got a spot to open up for Altec?!"

Spencer started to smile brightly, but it faltered, and she cocked her head. "Who's Altec?"

"Some local band. But, the most important part is that the news will be there to cover their concert. And I get to open for them!" I jumped up and down excitedly, holding her hands.

"Ash, that's great!" She cried, wrapping her arms around my neck. She pressed against me, squeezing me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her waist and squeezed back. "I'm so proud of you." She pulled back and kissed me on the cheek.

My arms refused to let go of her waist, though, and I pulled her back, my lips connecting with hers. I felt the sweet taste of her lip gloss. Kiwi Strawberry. My favorite. After a few seconds I pulled back, letting my arms fall off her waist. I waited for her reaction.

She smiled and leaned in, pecking me once on the lips. "Come on, or they'll stop serving breakfast," she said, waving me over to the car.

I couldn't help but smile as I slid into the car, and pulled the car out of the parking lot. "Your wish is my command," I said, laughing a little.

This day couldn't possibly get any better.

**********

"Ugh, this could not get any worse!" I yelled, throwing the pieces of paper out of my hand. They flew up in the air, scattering the papers in different directions. They fell on the floor by my feet and I stepped off the chair and stepped on the pieces of paper, stamping them to the ground with my feet.

Kyla came into the living room, a glass of water in her hand. She passed it over to me, a look of sympathy on her face. "I'm sure it's not that bad," she offered.

I gestured to the scattered papers now crumpled at my feet. "Every lyric I've written so far has been crap." I took a large gulp of water, trying to calm my nerves. Kyla placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I shrugged her off. I swallowed a mouthful of water and turned to her. "How am I going to be ready for tonight's show? Why did I even agree to do it, if I wasn't prepared?" I looked around frantically. "What if I mess up and-"

Kyla put a hand over my mouth, shutting me up. I bit her hand softly, and she let out a yelp. She moved her hand away, inspecting it. "You're going to do great! They wouldn't have offered to have you open up for the band if they thought you were going to suck." She placed both hands on my shoulders and shook me gently. "You're a great songwriter, and I know you're going to come up with something for tonight's show."

She sat down on the couch and picked up the pieces of paper I had so carelessly discarded of. She looked them over, her eyes grazing the page for a few seconds, then moving on to the next one. "I really like this one," she said after a few seconds, holding out one page.

I hesitated for a few seconds before taking it from her. "Oh." I replied. "This was just one I've been working on for a while." I folded it into a small piece and tucked it into my back pocket.

"You should use it, you've got at least three minutes of song there," she went on, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her lap. "Who's it about?" She suddenly asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

I bit my lip and shook my head. "No one. I wrote this months ago, when I..." I trailed off, and suddenly decided to stare at my hands for an excuse.

"When you and Spencer broke up." Kyla finished. Her face softened and she attempted a small smile. "Around the time when she started dating Carmen." When I nodded, much to my reluctance, she took a deep breath and stood up. She walked past me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Use that song." She looked towards the front door, where Spencer was just coming in, a bag of takeaway in her arms. She gave my shoulder one last squeeze and started off into her room, shutting the door behind her.

"What did you bring me?" I asked, following Spencer into the kitchen. I decided to be some help and reached up into the cupboard to grab some plates. Setting them on the table, I turned to her as she grabbed a few containers of Chinese food from the brown paper bag.

"I thought you might like some of your favorite Chinese food before you perform tonight." She opened a container and poured some noodles onto my plate, being generous with the amount.

I picked up the plate when she was done with it, and stuffed a forkful of noodles into my mouth, realizing then just how hungry I was. I heard Spencer laugh, and turned to her. "What?" I said, my voice slightly muffled by the noodles.

She reached over, a napkin in hand, and wiped a piece of noodle off my mouth. "There, all better," she said, tossing the napkin into the garbage. She grabbed herself some noodles and leaned against the table, cradling the plate in her hands. "Are you nervous?" She asked, taking small bites.

I nodded my head and set my plate down. Rubbing my stomach, I replied, "I'm not so hungry anymore."

Spencer grabbed my plate and headed out to the living room. I followed, and we both sat down on the couch. She turned to look at me.

"You'll do great. And Kyla, Aiden and I will be there to support you." She passed my plate to me, and even though I wasn't hungry, I took it. "We'll be cheering in the crowd, holding up candles, the whole deal."

I gave her a blank stare. "Please don't." I said plainly, and she laughed. "No, I'm serious." I said after a few seconds.

She snorted, covering her mouth with her hand. "Okay, I promise I won't." She picked at her noodles with her fork. "Do you still want me there?" She asked shyly, looking at me from the corner of her eyes.

"Of course I still want you there!" I exclaimed. I reached over and grabbed her hand. "You're my good luck charm." I saw her blush slightly, and ran my hand over her cheek. "I wouldn't be at this point without you."

She smiled and took another bite of her noodles, as I sat and watched her eat, barely able to keep from grinning the whole time.

Kyla came out of her room half an hour later, dressed in a tight black skirt and a sweater to match. She modeled for us quickly before dragging Spencer off the couch to grab her some clothes. I sat back and picked at my noodles, which were now cold and hard.

My thoughts drifted back to the piece of paper in my back pocket. I set my plate down and reached into my pocket, retrieving it. I folded it back open, looking at the scratched off words, and the scribbles on the margin's. I picked up a spare pencil from the table and started scribbling on it again.

Thirty outfits later, we were making our way to the club. I pulled into the parking lot and put the car in park. Turning around in the seat, I looked at Kyla and Aiden in the backseat. "No funny stuff tonight, okay? I want this night to go perfectly."

Kyla and Aiden both put their hands over their chests and smiled. I rolled my eyes and turned to Spencer. I reached over and grabbed her hand in mine.

"You ready?" She asked, squeezing my hand ever so lightly.

I threw a smile at her, trying to reassure her that I was fine. She wasn't fooled, however, and she squeezed my hand a little tighter, and I felt a little better knowing she was there. "I'm nervous," I admitted, opening my car door.

Spencer got out and came around to the drivers side. Kyla and Aiden slid out as well, already making their way to the club, with their arms wrapped around each other. Spencer smiled and linked her arm in mine. "You're a great singer, Ash. Always have been." She leaned over and gave me a peck on the cheek, and I felt my cheeks grow hot as she pulled away.

As we entered the concert hall, crowds of people swarmed past us, eager to get to their seats. Kyla turned to me, grasping Aiden's hand as he started heading towards a group of teenage girls. Scowling at him, she said, "We'll go find a seat, are you coming, Spencer?"

Spencer threw a glance at me, and I nudged her with my hip, un-linking our arms. "Go on ahead, I have to get ready."

She smiled and nodded, already heading towards Kyla and Aiden. "See you on stage," she winked, and I felt myself flush deeply.

I waited until they all disappeared into the building until I made my way to the back door. The stocky man there, his hair in a neat braid, crossed his arms over his chest as I made my way there. Giving him a smile, I pulled out my backstage pass, and he immediately stepped aside, a small smile creasing his face. I muttered a half thank you and walked into the room, feeling the air conditioning cool my skin as soon as I stepped inside.

A small guy, his black hair greased back approached me. He was wearing a tight fitting black vest, the sleeves cut off. He pushed his glasses up his nose a little and smiled. "I'm Jonathan, lead singer of Altec." He held his hand out and I took it, shaking it gently for a few seconds.

"I can't tell you guys how much I am looking forward to opening for you," I said, a little too cheerfully.

Jonathan released my hand and he nodded. "You're on in five. You cool with that?"

"Five minutes!?" I squeaked, making him jump a little.

He must have seen the look on my face, because he backed away a little. "Hey, are you sure you wanna do this?" He asked, looking towards his band mate, the drummer I was guessing, mostly because he was contently twirling a pair of drum sticks in his fingers. He looked over at us, indecision lining his dark features.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. "Yeah, I'll be fine." I muttered, and I had to repeat myself so he could hear what I was saying. He was nice enough to bring me a glass of water, and I took it and chugged it down, feeling my throat tighten up.

Handing the glass back to him, I shook myself down, wiggling my arms and loosening myself up for the show. Jonathan looked at me, confusion easy to seek on his face. He decided not to ask, and instead, shook his head and turned around. He started making his way towards the drummer, who was talking with another band mate. They were chatting happily, laughing even. I felt a pang of envy, wishing I could be that easy going before a show.

The guitarist, a young guy in his early twenties, walked over to me. His brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, and he dropped his black guitar case to the ground as he approached me. Placing a hand on my shoulder, he gave me a comforting smile.

"You're Rafe Davies daughter, right?" When I nodded, he made a small sound in his throat. "Great man, he was." I was about to ask him how he knew, when his mouth opened and he continued. "That man was nice enough to let us open for him, and look where we are now." He gestured around him, and I followed his hand, my eyes grazing the leather couches, the wide screen TV, and the PS3 on the table.

The man patted me, giving me a slight push before lifting the corners of his mouth up into a smirk. "He'd be proud of you tonight, Ashley." Nodding his head, he stepped back and picked up his guitar case. He placed two fingers on his head and saluted to me, before turning back to his band mates.

I sat down on one of the leather couches, feeling myself sink into it. My arms shaking, I wrapped them around myself. I suddenly jumped as I heard my name being called over the PA, and I looked around for support, but the band was already gone. Curious, I looked at my watch and realized that four minutes had passed.

The PA called my name again, and, with wobbly legs, I stood, balancing myself out by holding onto the table in the center. I walked over to where my guitar was being held, and bent down, snapping the case open. I pulled out the brown acoustic guitar, and strapped it over my shoulder.

Letting out a long breath, I turned towards the door and made my way to the stage.

Claps and cheers echoed through to the backstage as I finally made my way to the center of the stage. I walked up to the microphone and leaned into it, letting out another loud breath that echoed through the club. I opened my mouth to speak, and stopped, my stomach dropping as I realized how many people were in the crowd.

I wanted to run. I wanted to just turn around and bolt off that stage. And I would have, if it wasn't for a certain voice that broke through the claps and cheers.

"Go Ashley! You can do it!"

My eyes grazed over the crowd until I made out the figure of Spencer, clapping her hands excitedly. Aiden and Kyla were beside her, holding each other. Aiden gave me a thumbs up, and I rolled my eyes. Keeping my eyes on Spencer, I opened my mouth to speak again.

"This one is for someone very special to me." I winked at Spencer before I started strumming the guitar, getting into the first verse.

_So take one word, you said  
You put it in your bed  
You rest your tiny head on your pillow_

_You wonder where you're going next  
You've got your hair pushed to my chest  
And now you're hoping  
That someone will let you in_

_Well, I swear I'll let you in  
You know I'll let you in  
Oh Kelsey, you_

_So don't let anyone scare you  
You know that I'll protect you  
Always, now through the thick and thin  
Until the end_

_You better watch it  
You know you don't cross it  
Because, I'm always here for you  
And I'll be here for you_

_I know, I know, I know  
I know how it feels  
Believe me, I've been there  
And I know, I know, I know  
I know what it feels like  
Tell me, Kelsey_

_And I'll swim the ocean for you  
The ocean for you  
Whoa, Kelsey  
And I'll swim the ocean for you  
The ocean for you  
Whoa, Kelsey  
Oh you, darling_

_Now it's gonna get harder  
And it's gonna burn brighter  
And it's gonna feel tougher  
Each and every day_

_So let me say, that I love you  
You're all I've ever wanted  
All I've ever dreamed of to come  
And yes you did come_

_I want you so bad, can you feel it too?  
You know I'm so, I'm so in love with you  
I want you, so much  
I need you, so much  
I need your, I need your, your touch_

_And I'll swim the ocean for you  
The ocean for you  
Whoa, Kelsey  
And I'll swim the ocean for you  
The ocean for you  
Whoa, Kelsey_

_And I'll swim the ocean for you  
The ocean for you  
Whoa, Kelsey  
And I'll swim the ocean for you  
The ocean for you  
Whoa, Kelsey_

_And you never, ever let me in  
(Let me in)  
And you never, ever let me in  
(Let me in)  
And you never, ever let me in  
(Let me in)  
And you never, ever let me in_

As I slowly ended the song by slowly strumming the guitar, I heard a round of applause tear up the club. Whistles, cheers and shouts met my ears dead on, deafening me. I smiled and held up my hand, waving to everyone, before making my way off the stage.

As I took my guitar off, feeling relieved that the weight was literally off my shoulders, Jonathan met me, his hand raised for a high five.

"You did great, kid," he said as I high fived him. He strapped his own guitar on and winked at me. "Now go enjoy the rest of the show." I watched as he disappeared onto the stage, the three other band mates following him, all waving to the crowd as they greeted Altec with cheers. Shaking my head slightly, I made my way into the club.

Kyla, Aiden and Spencer met me at the backstage door. As soon as I stepped out, I felt Aiden pull me into a hug, crushing me.

"You did amazing!" He shouted, trying to be heard over the band, who had just started.

I smiled and Kyla walked up to me next. She pulled me into a hug as well, this one more gentle than Aiden's. "Dad would be proud," she whispered, and I wrapped my arms around her waist, squeezing her lightly.

Next up was Spencer. She approached shyly, shuffling her feet along the ground. Kyla cleared her throat and pointed over her shoulder.

"We're just going to go get a drink."

"We are?" Aiden asked. One look from Kyla, and he nodded. "We are," he affirmed. Grabbing Kyla by the hand, he pulled her off into the massive crowd.

I turned my attention back to Spencer, who was now just a few feet from me. I reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her closer. We backed up into a corner, and I grinned at her as she leaned against me. "Enjoy the show?" I asked, and my grin brightened as she nodded, leaning her head up towards me. I kissed her lips softly, and she mumbled against my lips. I pulled away. "What was that?"

"Who was it dedicated to?" She asked, twirling a stray piece of my hair in her fingers.

"Just this girl I'm totally obsessed with. I think her name was Sam? Or was it Kelsey?" I grinned as she smacked me lightly in the shoulder. "I had to change the name to Kelsey, or it would have been too sappy, if people knew I was singing about you."

"You're lucky I sappiness." She leaned into me again, and I wrapped my arms around her waist as she cradled her head on my shoulder.

I raised an eyebrow. "Maybe I should write more songs with you in them." I nuzzled my cheek against her head. "Roses are red, violets are blue-"

She placed a finger on my lip, shutting me up. "Not that sappy." She laughed and replaced her finger with her lips.

"Am I intruding?" Someone asked, and I lifted my head away from Spencer.

"Actually you are," I snapped, then stopped, tensing up. "Carmen." I hissed through clenched teeth.

Carmen stood a few feet away from us, her arms crossed over her chest. Her friends stood behind her, measuring up to about five of them.

The bitch is back.

**I know that the song I used is sung by a guy, but hey, let's pretend she sang it. And if you're wondering, the song was 'Kelsey' by Metro Station. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Wow, guys, I cannot apologize enough for not updating this for so many months. I have no excuse for not updating, I just have not had the inspiration to write anything new with this story. But now I'm back, and I have a few more ideas for this story, so I hope you're still sticking around, and to new readers, welcome! I must warn you now though, this chapter deals with VERY mature themes. So be warned. You'll probably hate me after this chapter, but I promise that it does get better. Please review, I'd love to hear what you think of it. Spashley forever!**

**Chapter Six: Sacrifice**

**(Spencer's POV)**

Carmen. The name sent a shiver running through my spine, as I heard the words slip out of Ashley's mouth. She whispered her name, and I felt her back up towards me, so that my chest was pressed against her back. She reached out for my hand, and grasped it protectively, her fingers curling around mine in a tight compress.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Carmen asked, a sly smile twitching at the corners of her mouths. Beside her, two people stood, one a boy and the other a girl. The guy, who I recognized from hanging out with Carmen, was cracking his knuckles, getting ready for battle. His muscles bulged beneath his black shirt, and I felt a stream of nausea roll through my stomach. The girl stood obediently at Carmen's side, glaring Daggers at Ashley, who didn't seem to notice her. She was too involved with staring down Carmen.

"What are you doing here?" Ashley growled, backing up a little bit more. My back pressed against the wall, and my chest started feeling compressed. I tried to take a deep breath, feeling my heart pound in my chest, threatening to explode.

"I heard that you were opening up for the band, and I decided to come see how good of a musician you really are." Carmen lifted a hand and waved off her sentence. "Now I know what Spencer sees in you. You do have a good voice, I have to give you that." She stepped forward a little, and Ashley backed up more, until she felt my left hand come up and press against her back, telling her to stop.

"Glad you enjoyed the show," Ashley replied, her lips curling up into a grim smile. "Too bad you're not invited to the after party."

Carmen pursed her lips, feigning sadness. "I have an after party of my own planned. You're not invited." She turned her eyes towards me, and I felt my stomach roll. "But she is." Carmen finished, licking her lips.

"You're not going anywhere near her." Ashley growled. She let go of my hand, and I desperately reached out for it, feeling panic run through my veins. She stepped forward now, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Aiden and Kyla reach us.

Carmen held up both of her hands now. "I'm not here to cause any trouble," she stated.

"Why else would you be here?" Ashley asked as Aiden and Kyla walked up beside her, both of their bodies shielding me from Carmen. Aiden looked down at me, his eyebrows pinched in anger. He tried his best to throw me a smile, trying to comfort me.

"I want to talk to Spencer. Alone." Carmen raised an eyebrow, and glanced over at me.

"Yeah, right. Not going to happen," Ashley replied quickly.

Carmen rolled her eyes. "I promise I won't hurt her." She waved her hand in the air, and her two friends backed up a little bit. "Now can I please talk to my girlfriend?"

Ashley stepped forward a little, her hands curled up into fists. "She's not your girlfriend anymore. So there's the door," She pointed her hand towards the exit. "Learn to use it." Stepping back towards me, she reached for my hand, but this time I didn't reach out for it. Instead, I stepped past her and Aiden, so that I was in front of Ashley, facing Carmen.

"Spence, what are you-" she started, but out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Kyla place a hand on her sisters arm, a comforting gesture, but I was sure it wouldn't calm Ashley's nerves. She gritted her teeth, and from the way her body was tensed up, I could sense she wanted to push Kyla out of the way to get to me. Turning to face her, I faked a half smile.

"I'll only be a moment." Without waiting for a reply, I started walking, and I didn't need to look back to know that Carmen was following me. I lead her away from the others, and from her friends, into a small area of the bar, which looked mostly unoccupied. I twisted around on my heels, and crossed my arms over my chest. "So what do you want?" I asked her, trying hard not to let my body shake from simply being in her presence.

Carmen took a deep breath, and looked over to the others. Ashley and Aiden were watching her intently, their eyes narrowed in suspicion. Trying to ignore them, she turned her full attention back to me. "I'm sorry."

My eyes widened in surprise. "What?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and yet I knew she had said it. It came so clearly from her mouth, and I even saw her mouth the words. But my mind couldn't comprehend what she said. "What?" I asked again, still reeling from the shock.

"I said I'm sorry." She repeated it patiently, and calm. Shifting on her feet like a thirteen year old, she lifted a hand and scratched at the back of her neck, something she does when she's nervous. Which is hardly ever. She lifted her gaze from the floor to me, and took a deep swallow, the lump in her throat rising up and down with the gesture.

"Sorry?" I shook my head, still not able to process anything she was saying. After all the months I've known her, I had never heard her say it and mean it. But the way she said it to me, with such guilt dripping from her voice, I could tell she meant it.

"About everything." She licked at her lips, trying to find the right words. "I have not been the best girlfriend. Actually, I've been the worst girlfriend. But with everything that's been going on, I've been taking my anger out on you, and that was no excuse to act towards you the way I did."

"What's been going on?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"You know Marcus, my friend?" When I nodded, she continued on. "He was found last night, murdered in cold blood." I saw tears well up in her eyes, and she lifted up her hand to wipe at them angrily. "One of the rival gangs murdered him, because of some stupid deal they had going with us."

"Carmen, I'm so sorry." I actually meant it, too. I knew how much Marcus meant to her, as I'd known him in the months Carmen and I dated. He was like a brother to her, and even though I didn't agree with the road he was taking Carmen down, getting back into her gang ways, and drugs, he was still a good friend, nonetheless.

She stepped forward, but I found myself not backing up. "I need you, Spencer. I have no one else now, and it's so lonely not seeing you everyday." She lowered her head and let out a small sob, and I stepped forward instinctively. "Please, Spencer. I love you. I really do." She lifted her head again, and sniffled loudly, wiping at her nose with the back of her hand.

I looked back towards Ashley, who was still watching us with concern. She shook her head at me, as if knowing what direction this would go in. She started to step forward, but Kyla held her tightly, her hand bound to Ashley's arm. Looking back at Carmen, I took a deep breath. "If I go with you, will you leave Ashley and them alone?"

"As long as they don't bother me and my friends." She held a hand up and ran a thumb over my chin, and I closed my eyes, all the feelings I had for her flooding back to me in one gigantic wave of emotion. I felt her body move closer, and then her hand clasp in mine. "I missed you." She whispered into my ear.

I opened my eyes, and Carmen started leading us back to the others. As we stopped in front of Ashley, Carmen let go of my hand and stepped back, waiting for me to say something. I turned towards Ashley, and I saw the glimmer in her eyes as tears threatened to fall from them. She already knew my answer, but she was just waiting for me to confirm it.

"Spencer, no." She pleaded, almost begged. Her voice cracked as she spoke, and she lifted a hand to cover her mouth. "Don't go back with her." She mumbled.

"I have to go." I replied, wearily. Twisting my head, my eyes wandered to Kyla, who was standing still, her hands clenched by her side. Aiden walked up beside her and placed an arm around her shoulders, rubbing her back comfortingly with the other. "I'm so sorry." I turned to go, but I felt Ashley grab my arm, and pull me back, a little rough.

"No!" She yelled, gripping tighter on my arm. I let out a pained gasp, and struggled against her grip.

"Ashley, you're hurting me!" I wrapped my fingers around her hand, trying to pry her fingers from my wrist. "Please, let go!"

Finally, her grip loosened, and she let me go. I rubbed at the now red area where her fingers left indents. She cocked her head a little to the side, biting her lower lip.

"Fine, go." She snapped harshly. Stepping back, she waved her arms out in front of her. "Leave. But don't come crying to me, when she beats you down into the ground! If you're stupid enough to go back to her, then you deserve everything you get!" At the last sentence, her eyes widened, and she held a hand over her mouth again, horrified, to cut herself off.

I felt my heart stop for a millisecond, and I faltered a little, falling back into the wall. I threw out a hand to support myself, looking down at the ground. I heard footsteps come up beside me, and didn't need to look up to see who they belonged to. A hand was placed on my arm.

"Let's go home." Carmen whispered, and I just nodded in agreement. She grabbed onto my hand, and we started walking past Ashley, who was looking at the ground, silent tears falling from her eyes, and trailing down her cheeks. I looked away, and didn't look back as Carmen led me outside, and towards her car.

As soon as I got into the passenger side, I laid my head against the cool glass window. The doors opened, and Carmen and her friends got into the car, Carmen in the drivers side. She placed a hand on my leg, and I pulled away from the window and leaned into her, laying my head on her shoulder. We said nothing for the whole ride home.

As soon as we reached her house, Carmen gestured for her two friends to leave the car. They obeyed, and headed into the house, leaving us alone. She nuzzled me gently, and twisted around in her seat. "You should get some sleep." She reached for the keys and twisted the ignition off.

I let her lead me inside the house, into her room, which I had only been in once. The walls were plastered with posters, and the bed, if it could even be called that, laid in the corner of the room, covered in old blankets and battered pillows. I sat down on the edge of the bed, and she sat down beside me.

"You alright?" She asked, and I just nodded. I felt too weak to say or do anything. She leaned in to say something, but then a ringer cut her off. Her cell phone. She lifted it out of her pocket to see who it was, and grimaced at the name. "Shit." She turned to me and gave me a small peck on the head. "I'll be right back, baby." As she stood up off the bed, the cot creaked, and scooted to the end of the bed, so that my back was against the wall. I lifted my legs up to my chest, and rested my head on my knees.

I started to close my eyes, when I heard Carmen's shouts echo through the house. Wincing as every pierce rang through my head, I crawled over to the end of the bed, and climbed off. I started to head towards the door, to close it, when it burst open suddenly, and I fell back a little, frightened and startled.

"Stupid son of a bitch!" Carmen screeched, whipping her phone out of her hands. It crashed against the wall with a loud smash, and fell to the ground, scattering some stray pieces along the carpet. She ran a hand through her hand and kicked at the ground, sending pieces of papers flying everywhere.

"Carmen, what's wrong?" I asked, stepping towards her. She turned to me, and I felt my mouth drop open. In that moment, she looked like a rabid animal, her face beet red, eyes wide, teeth gritted together. She didn't seem to notice me at first, until her eyes finally registered me.

"One of the gang members just went after one of my friends!" She screamed. She threw her hands out in front of her.

"Is he OK?" I flinched as she stepped towards me.

"He will be, in six weeks, when his fucking leg cast heals!" She growled loudly in her throat and placed her head in her hands. I stepped over to her and tried to lower her hands gently, to get a better look at her face. Furious, she whipped her hands out and pushed me aside, flinging me onto the bed. "This week has not been going well." She let out a small chuckle, but there was no humor in it. "First, one of my best friends dies, then you leave me for Ashley, of all people. Then one of my men are incapacitated for a few weeks."

"I don't know what you want me to do about all of this," I stuttered, scooting back on the bed as she came over to the bed, and sat down on it.

"I just want to feel something besides pain." She shook her head, and shifted to look at me. "Help me feel anything." Her hand moved over to my shoulder, and I felt her give it a squeeze, before lowering it down my back. She pulled me closer with one pull.

"Carmen..." I started, as she moved in closer, her lips connecting with my neck. "This won't help." I placed my hands on her chest and pushed her away, a little more roughly than I meant to. I tried to avoid her gaze as she pulled back.

"What, you suddenly don't want me like that anymore?" There was anger growing in her voice, and she stood up off the bed. "You should be lucky that I even want to do it with you, after all the guys and girls you've slept with. Like Ashley." She huffed out her name.

"Don't you dare talk about her." I whispered harshly.

Carmen knelt down in front of me, trying to get my focus. "What, you think she's so much better than anyone else you've dated?" When I didn't answer, she grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled me towards her, ignoring my gasps of pain. "She's probably no better than some whore you'd find off the street." She let go of my hair and my head flew back, hair flying in the face, blinding me.

I wiped the hair out of my face, anger growing within me. With all the strength I could muster, I looked up at Carmen, locking eyes with her. "She's better in bed than you'll ever be!" I spat, immediately regretting it as Carmen reached over and slapped me hard across the face. I felt my lip split, and blood flowed down my chin, staining her bedspread.

"We'll see about that," Carmen hissed, pushing me back onto the bed. She straddled me, her legs pinning my arms down. Her hands roamed over my chest, and her fingers played with the hem of my shirt. Quickly, she pulled my top off, and I struggled against her weight, to try and get her off.

She shifted lower, her hands now roaming to the belt of my jeans. She leaned down and placed a small kiss on my bare stomach. Letting her weight shift off me, she undid my belt, and loosened my jeans.

"Carmen, please don't..." I cried out, but she reacted quickly, as I felt another fist connect with my face. I felt her hands wander to my inner thighs, and I found myself reacting to her touch. My body tingled as she leaned down to kiss my lips. The kiss was sloppy and wet, and I held back a grimace.

"We'll just see who's better." She mumbled, as she pulled down my jeans.

"Carmen, don't!" I screamed, but she ignored me and continued roaming her hands over my body.

"No!"

***

I felt numb. Everything hurt. My bones ached with the feeling of coldness, even though I was half covered with a wool blanket. It felt itchy against my bare skin, and I wanted more than anything to reach up and scratch at the itch. But my muscles wouldn't react. My brain wouldn't send the message to the limbs, telling them to move. Telling me to move.

I heard a door open and close, and I buried my head deeper into the blanket, as someone sat down on the bed, the mattress creaking under their weight. A hand roamed over the blanket, feeling heavy on my back. I bit my lip, trying to hold back a sob.

"See, Baby, what happens when you make me angry?" Carmen's voice broke through the blanket, and her fingers clutched the blanket. She lifted it off me a little, revealing my head. She let a finger roam over my face, and I flinched back from her touch. "I'm sorry, but I had to do that." She looked towards the door, where her friend, Paco, stood, grinning. "And I'm sorry that Paco had to be a part of this too."

I felt a few tears fall from my eyes as the memories rushed back into my head. "I want to go home," I sobbed. "Please, just let me go home."

Carmen nodded and stood up off the bed. She gestured to Paco, who stepped forward and bent down to grab my clothes. He passed them to Carmen, who simply threw them at me. "Get dressed. Paco will drive you home when you're ready." She grabbed Paco by the arm gently and lead him out of the room, closing the door behind her.

It took me a few moments to get up off the bed, every part of my body feeling weak and numb. I gathered my clothes from the pile on the bed and rushed to put them on, trying to hold back a few sobs of pain, as the pressure on my stomach and legs ached more with every movement I made. I finally finished and stumbled over to the vanity, where I sat down on the stool. I lifted my head and looked at myself in the mirror, and couldn't hold back the cry that came out of my mouth. My fingers hovered over my face, as I looked at my reflection, my beaten and battered face staring back at me. I could only imagine what the rest of me looked like.

A knock at the door jarred me from my thoughts, and I stood up, cradling an arm to my sore ribs as Carmen entered. She looked me over quickly, and nodded, as if in approval. She helped me down the stairs, and when we got to the front door, she turned to me. "I love you." She ran a hand through my hair, ignoring my winces. "I'll see you tomorrow, baby." She leaned in and gave me a kiss on the lips. I was too weak to resist, so I went along with it. Then she handed me over to Paco, who wasn't so gentle with me, as proven by the marks on my body, pulled me into the car.

He started the car, and his hand free hand roamed down towards my thigh. "I was thinking we could have a bit of fun before I got you home." He grinned and put the car in reverse, and started backing it out of the driveway. As we drove along the streets of China Town, his fingers constantly tickled along my legs.

I felt the car jolt to a stop, and, looking out the window, I saw that we were parked in an alley. I heard the drivers side door open, and he came over to my side, pulling the door open. He grabbed at my jacket, and pulled me out of the car, not bothering to catch me as I fell onto my side.

"Get up!" He yelled, and grabbed me by the elbow. He pulled me up and shoved me into a wall, and I felt my legs give out, but he held me up with one free hand, while the other played with the buckle of my belt. My eyes felt heavy and swollen, and I just leaned into his touch. I wanted to feel something, anything, other than this pain.

He started undoing his own jeans, when I heard someone shout in the distance. He let go of me and I fell back onto the ground, my head smashing into the brick wall. My eyelids felt heavy as I tried to stay conscious.

"Get away from her!"

My eyes widened as much as they could. I recognized that voice.

Kyla.

I twisted my head, and saw that she and Aiden were standing in front of Paco, Aiden ready for battle. "Kyla!" I tried to shout, but it came out as a gurgle, as blood spilled out my mouth. She looked towards me, the expression on her face unreadable.

I heard Paco mumble something, then his heavy footsteps as he got into his car. It pulled out of the alley, and as soon as the car was a few seconds away, I heard Kyla and Aiden running towards me. Kyla dropped down beside me, her hands flying to my head, to support it.

"Oh God, Spencer, what happened to you?" She asked, holding my head to her chest and she spoke to Aiden. "Call an ambulance. Now!" She ran a hand over my back, and I let out a cry of pain, my fingers curling around her jacket. "It's OK, Spencer, we're here." Kyla assured me.

"No..hospital." I mumbled, trying my best to stay awake.

"Honey, we have to get you to one. You're badly hurt." Her voice started cracking, and I could tell she was trying hard not to cry.

"Get me..." I trailed off.

"Spencer? Honey?" Kyla asked.

"Ashley...." I finished. My eyelids started to close, and I felt Kyla's warm arms embrace me as I fell into darkness.


End file.
